City distributes new recycling bins

As part of a switch to a new recycling system, the city began delivering new bins to residences earlier this month.

In April, the city will begin a single-stream recycling program, which will allow residents to place all recyclable waste into the same cart. The city will distribute more than 15,000 bins this month, according to a release. Residents can begin using the new bins April 1, and they can place their old recycling bins at the curb for the city to pick up in April.

The city’s contract with its current recycling collection partner, Waste Pro, expires at the end of the month. Last year, citing concerns about increasing costs, the city opted to give its own Public Works Department control of the recycling operations.

In the release, the city reminded residents to only place recyclable materials into the bins. Those materials include paper products, empty plastic bottles and containers, glass bottles and jars, food and beverage cartons and aluminum and steel cans.

The city said attempting to recycle non-recyclable items can cause issues with the systems used to process the waste.

“Decreased production and increased operational costs can ultimately cause your utility bills to go up,” Public Works General Manager Todd Kucharski said in the release. “Please do your part to recycle smart.”